Summer Spent at The Burrow
by LiquidV
Summary: The Golden Trio may be turning into a Quartet as our favorite characters spend an emotionally charged summer at the Weasleys'. (Written before OoTP came out.)
1. It Begins

Author's note: I know I don't update often, but I enjoy reviews anyway. Where would you like to see this go? Suggests are always welcome.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing, 'cept some X-men stuff and some clothes.  
  
Glistening leaves rustled softly in the pre-morning breeze. Small rays of dawn's first light peered through the window and caressed the sleeping cheek of one Hermione Granger. Her eyes fluttered open, and with a look of great annoyance, the brown haired bookworm quickly closed her curtains by hand. She always hated the inconvenience of being an under aged witch. Now that she was already up, Hermione knew falling back into the world of dreams would be impossible. "Stupid sunshine," grumbled the girl as she stretched her small body and stood on her toes.  
  
The summer between years 4 and 5 at Hogwarts had really taken their toll on danger prone Hermione. At a glance, people wouldn't think twice about the pretty girl with wild brown hair and piercing eyes. She only had time for studying and an occasional letter to Ron or Harry, so she would often find her mother nagging for her to change her clothes at the end of the week. It's not that she was unclean, just extremely wrapped up in her mind to notice, or even care about, her body. The thing about Hermione though, had she taken time to study something more than magic, was that her body had begun to change drastically from what it was the year before. She was now 5'5" and continuing her growth spurt; her face lost most of its childish features and became more defined and mature. The way her sharp face blended so perfectly with her slightly curved eyebrows when she had them furrowed in concentration left no doubt as to her age but left much doubt as to her thoughts. Hermione had become mysterious during her years at Hogwarts, and her looks only added to the mystery. You never knew if she was going to tell you off or praise you for your magical creativity.  
  
A loud sizzling sound could be heard from downstairs, probably the beginnings of breakfast made by her father. "Where has he got off to?" Hermione wondered aloud. She began moving piles of books and parchment in her search when a big ball of fluff purred against her leg, tail raised high. "Ah, there you are Crookshanks!" she smiled as she scratched behind his ear, "Pleased with yourself now, are you?" He let out an affirmative 'mrrrow' and flopped his large orange body onto his owner's bed. Just as Hermione reached over to stroke her cat's belly, a great flurry of white entered through her curtains and collapsed on top of Crookshanks. He stared at the exhausted owl with disapproval and concern while Hermione picked it up, "Hedwig, what's happened?" and in response Hedwig gave a weak 'hoot' and stretched out her leg. The witch eagerly took the large scroll from its binding and read the letter:  
  
~Must hurry, your abilities are needed. Travel by floo power, father's set your fireplace up with the network. Mother's worried sick, bring books on medical magic; I know you've got them. -Ron~  
  
As she finished the letter Hedwig stretched out her other leg to reveal a small phial of floo powder attached to it. "Time to get going then," said Hermione, with less confidence in her voice than she would care to admit. Rushing down the stairs with her school supplies, Hedwig and Crookshanks, and her wand, she grabbed a piece of toast and stood in front of the brick bordered fireplace. "Er, 'Mione, what's got you all worked up? It's the middle of July, are you getting sick?" her mother asked as she noticed the fire slowly increase in size and heat. "I'm off to the Burrow mum, something's happened and they need me," tossing the powder in, sparks flew about the flames as she stepped in, shouting "The Burrow!" "Wait just one minute young lady!" But it was too late, Hermione was off to the Weasleys' and nobody was going to stop her. "What's gotten into that girl lately? Asserting her independence I suppose..."  
  
Actually, that's exactly what Hermione was doing. She knew her parents weren't overly strict, but sometimes she wanted a little freedom. She also thought her parents could use a break from worrying about her and maybe go on a nice vacation together for the rest of the summer holidays. Not that rushing off to The Burrow for unknown but seemingly urgent circumstances was really rebellious, but Hermione needed some excuse to get out of the house under as little suspicion as possible or she was likely to go mad from over working.  
  
Dust, ashes, and bits of charred wood clung to various parts of the young girl's body as she landed firmly in front of Mrs. Weasley in her living room. 'Funny', she thought, 'Mrs. Weasley looks like she always does. I wonder if Ron was over exaggerating a bit in his letter.' She brushed herself off and attempted to clean her already mussed hair when she noticed Mrs. Weasley looking at her. "Oh, hello, sorry to intrude like this, but Ron said he needed me and it was urgent so I dropped by without sending an owl." All this came in a rush and she continued to babble an explanation when the older witch interrupted her, "Something's urgent? What's happened?"  
  
The only thing Hermione now saw as urgent was finding Ron and hexing him, because obviously he had taken lessons from Fred and George and pulled a very rude prank. "I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley, I thought you knew. That obnoxious son of yours scared the sense out of me this morning with a letter saying someone was in trouble. Plus Hedwig looked absolutely exhausted and I thought she'd outdone herself in trying to get help." The witches exchanged disapproving looks and promptly marched upstairs, wands out, angry faces in place.  
  
~-~-~-~  
  
A boy with flaming hair was stretched lazily on his bed, looking at an equally stretched out boy across the cramped room. They were talking excitedly about Quidditch and the Chudley Cannons' chance at the next World Cup for most of the morning. Their excitement was diminished when they were called outside to the backyard garden for another de-gnoming. "But mum, Harry and I've done this twenty times already since he's been here, can't we do something else?" Ron's complaining earned him the pleasure of scrubbing the bathrooms without the use of magical cleaning detergents for the remainder of the morning and because Harry felt sorry for him, he decided to help.  
  
"She's always doing this to me," spat Ron, "She's never treated Fred and George this beastly when they do something out of line, and they're the ones always pulling pranks!" suddenly an evil smile spread across his face as Harry replied, unaware that Ron was no longer listening, "You know, I reckon you're right, but she only wants the best for you. She probably realizes your brothers are out of reach and wants to make sure you turn out ok. Er, Ron?" The tousle haired boy looked puzzled at his friend's mischievous stare. "Are you off your rocker now?" Harry said as he shook Ron's shoulder very gently. "Wha..? Oh no, I was just thinking of the best prank ever!" Running up to his bedroom, Harry had no time to ask the taller red head what he was going on about.  
  
Frantically searching for spare parchment, Ron threw his schoolbooks aside and made a thorough mess of his room. "Here we are!" He said excitedly as he scratched out a small note and attached it to Hedwig's leg. "Now Hedwig, I want you to fly without stop to Hermione's, this is very important, y'know?" The snowy owl gave a triumphant hoot as she shot out of his window as fast as she could, hoping to please Ron and break her own speed record to Hermione. Harry looked dumbfounded as he opened his mouth to speak, only to find Ron's lips lightly pressed to his own.  
  
After a few moments Ron pulled away with an evil gleam in his eye, "Well Harry, this should give ol' Hermione a shock. It's the best prank I've come up with ever." ".Huh?" And then suddenly Ron realized he wasn't in one of his many fantasies, and bolted down the stairs, running to Stoatshead Hill as fast as he could, not wanting to face Harry ever again. The boy who lived sat dazed and simply brought his fingers to his lips. He walked to the back porch and looked around to find Ron's figure disappearing through the trees. 


	2. Anger Management?

Disclaimer: If I owned anything involving Harry Potter, besides this fic, then I'd be rich, now wouldn't I?  
  
Author's Note: I know the Hermione/Ginny factor wasn't in play the first chapter, but worry not, it will come. I'd like some feedback please =)  
  
After marching half way up the staircase, the two witches were nearly knocked over by a very wide-eyed Ron. "Ronald Weasley! Get back here this instant!" His mother aimed her wand downstairs and tried the leg-locking curse, only to have it miss and hit Crookshanks instead. While Hermione was gathering up her cat, and Mrs. Weasley was apologizing profusely and performing the counter spell, Ron was already racing out the back door. "He is so going to get it," fumed the young witch as she stroked her unlucky pet. The other witch bristled with anger, "He'll be de-gnoming for the rest of the summer! Double bathroom duty! I've half a mind to hex him this instant!"  
  
As she continued to rant, Hermione proceeded up the stairs to get settled in for the rest of the holidays. "Might as well stay now that I'm here, I suppose. maybe Harry's here." In truth, Hermione was also growing angry with Harry as well as Ron, she began to wonder if they'd both been in on the prank. Her suspicions were quelled though, as a very dazed looking Harry walked down the stairs and to the back porch. "Are you alright?" she asked, but received no answer. The tousle haired boy went up to his room with the same dazed look on his face, leaving behind a very confused looking Hermione.  
  
~-~-~-~  
  
The afternoon sun glared down upon Stoatshead Hill. During his burst of fear and adrenaline, Ron had managed to settle himself among a group thick summer-dried bushes surrounded by a cluster of trees in no time. He sat down with his knees pulled up to his chest, arms wrapped firmly around them. The youngest Weasley boy was shaking all over, as if he had just emerged from a freezer, when in fact he was sweating heavily and trying to cool off in a patch of shade. Ron pushed his damp bangs out of his eyes and muttered, "Bloody hell, what was I thinking?" A little angry voice in his head said, "You moron! Obviously you weren't thinking a bit!" Lying with his hands behind his head, the young wizard sighed and drifted into an uneasy sleep.  
  
Much like with Hermione, Hogwarts had also taken its toll on Ron. He had grown to be 5'11' in a few short months. With all of the adventuring they went on, and Ron's extra private work he did to improve his muscular form, he often got caught up in other things besides eating. Only during the holidays spent at home did he really notice how thin and gangly he had become, so he decided he'd make sure to bulk up before his fifth year started. Ron had always told himself he wanted to look good and try out for Quidditch, but secretly within the deep confines of his mind, he knew his efforts were really made in hopes of catching his best friend's eye.  
  
The Gryffindor seeker sat flipping through his old photo album; he had made additions to it since he first received it from Hagrid in his first year. Now not only could he see his parents and relatives smiling and waving at him, but his best friends too. Harry flipped to the latest photograph he'd put in and looked at it thoughtfully. It was of him and Ron, both on his Firebolt, hovering a few feet above ground. Their smiles were huge and excited; it was the first day Harry was allowed to leave the Dursley's and he had just arrived, ready for a summer without pig-faced Dudley complaining about his new computer games or television shows.  
  
~-~-~-~  
  
Tracing his finger over the picture, Harry thought back to all the times they had been photographed together. Every single time he could think of, Ron had been in some way touching him. Whether it had been an arm around his shoulder, or a full on hug, there was definitely body contact. What was odd though, was that the boy with the lightning bolt-shaped scar rather liked the obvious affection his friend had displayed. "I wonder. have I been missing something?" Harry knew their years of friendship had caused a deep unbreakable bond to form around their hearts, but what he didn't know was that it also grew around their souls.  
  
~-~-~-~  
  
Hermione followed Harry to the top room when suddenly the room before it opened up and out ran Ginny Weasley, knocking her over in the process. They tumbled into the living room and formed a heap of robes, blood, and limbs. "Ginny?" questioned Hermione, ".you dead?" A muffled response came, ".Aye, deader than dead." To inspect all the commotion, Mrs. Weasley bustled from the kitchen to where the two witches lay tangled and bruised on the floor.  
  
"Oh my! Accio!" she called, and her daughter sprang free and into her arms, "Accio!" she called again, and directed the other girl over to the couch with her wand. "What's happened to the both of you?" talking in her most motherly tone, she had cooled down a bit from earlier and now her rage for Ron turned into concern for the girls. After giving Mrs. Weasley the explanation they were healed as best could be with the older witch's wand and bandaged up. "Thank you mum" Ginny said brightly, "Hermione and I are going to bond, see you at dinner." And with that, she grabbed her friend's hand and led her to her room.  
  
Sitting uncomfortably on a bed with black sheets, Hermione glanced nervously around the room. She barely spoke to Ginny, save for the brief greetings and small talks that occurred throughout their years at Hogwarts. "Er. Ginny, what did you mean by bond?"  
  
The older witch was always uncharacteristically shy around other girls, and she figured it was because all her social time was spent with Harry and Ron; they were the two most un-girly guys out there. The famous wizard acted like he had something to prove all the time and didn't want to be teased by the Slytherins, and Ron, as his faithful sidekick, followed suit. When Hermione wasn't with the guys, the thought never occurred to her that they might act any differently without her.  
  
So she sat on the bed of one of her best friend's little sister, and cleared her throat, trying to remain calm, without a clue as to what was going on. "Don't be daft, you know bond, hang out, get to know each other a little better. I overheard most of Ron's plan to scare you, and I'm not exactly sure what happened between him and Harry, but I think they both need some alone time and I figured you might get bored without them," The younger girl smiled brightly but Hermione sensed an under current of mischief was behind her thoughts.  
  
She shrugged that off as being a natural Weasley trait and returned the smile, asking, "So, we can't use magic, and this bloody heat is too much for me right now, so what can we do around the house that involves bonding?" Hermione was quite eager to make friends with a girl, and she had always thought Ginny was friendly and smart, so she immediately got up before receiving an answer and grabbed a book from the dusty oak desk. "Seems you haven't been doing summer homework," she teased while brushing the dust from the worn leather book. Ginny simply rolled her eyes and then pouted, "And what do you want to do work for? I thought we were going to have some fun." 


	3. Understandings

Author's Note: I want more feedback, even if it's bad. Um. Oh yeah, I think for being a lesbian I sure write a lot about gay guys, and I apologize to everyone who thought the romance was gonna be with the girls. I mean, it will be there, but so far I've been pulling this story right outta my ass and this is just how it's flowed.  
  
Disclaimer: No profit to me. =(  
  
It was the middle of the afternoon when Harry had finally stopped inspecting his photo album, and he couldn't decide what to do. Standing and stretching with a yawn, he made his way to his Firebolt and began polishing it, all the while thinking of his long time friend. His dark messy hair was always the same, but the rest of Harry had changed quite a lot since puberty had struck. The lightning bolt scar never faded, but seemed to grow more pronounced with every nightmare he had. His jaw became more defined, and with the hours of Quidditch practice at Hogwarts giving him well toned muscles, Harry had become a nice looking, physically fit young man.  
  
There was a problem with his looks though; at least he felt there was. The young soon to be fifth year could not stand the growing number of girls gawking at him, or boys constantly asking him about Quidditch. Hordes of students, mostly second and first years, would follow him around the grounds, either to talk or to stare, he couldn't decide which annoyed him more. It was while he was thinking of Ron and school and his broomstick all at once, that Harry abruptly got up from the bright orange bed. He almost violently threw open the old window, and flew out on his Firebolt, high into the sunny afternoon sky.  
  
Wind rushed past his face, pressing his glasses firmly in place, as he flew through the slowly dimming sky. Harry had been flying for hours and the blanket of night was slowly wrapping itself around this part of the world. Tilting himself forward, he began a quick descent towards The Burrow, landing with a thud in front of a flustered Mrs. Weasley. "There you are Harry! We didn't know where you and Ron had got off to, and dinner's in ten minutes," she looked around briefly and asked, "Where is that boy anyway, he wasn't with you?" "Ah, well, I'm sure I could go find him for you." Harry replied, remembering the wrath of Mrs. Weasley from earlier. "Oh, that would be perfect, he starts his punishments directly after dinner!" The brown haired boy thought she made that last remark with a bit too much glee, but he shrugged it off and flew into the air once again. "I guess a patch of red from high above will be similar to a flicker of gold zooming about." he thought as he soared above the trees in search of Ron.  
  
~-~-~-~  
  
A girly squeak escaped Ginny's mouth as Hermione pulled out a leather book mostly held together with spell-o-tape. The older witch gave her a funny look then brushed off the noise, opening the book with a grin. "I would have thought this book to be least dusty, considering 4th years aren't supposed to have it. Did you take this from Ron or did Fred and George decide to be 'helpful' with your education?" she laughed and flipped to the table of contents, "Come on now Ginny, I was only teasing, lets get started with this bonding thing now, alright?"  
  
Being highly embarrassed, the tall, skinny redhead stuttered something incomprehensible, gave up trying to talk, and nodded her head in affirmation. Hermione began to read, "Introduction, page one: Sex Education in Wizard Society. Chapter one: Learning your anatomy. Chapter two: Muggle diseases and how to prevent them. Chapter three: Wizard diseases and their impact on muggle life. Chapter four: Relationship Dynamics Between Wizards and Muggles. Chapter five: Relationship Dynamics Between Wizards and Muggles of the Same Sex."  
  
She then burst out laughing at the horrified look on Ginny's face. "What is it, ickle Ginnykins, can't handle a bit of nudity?" she was referring to the pictures, which were of witches and wizards, who just happened to be posing in all their naked glory. The old book was interesting, and fairly graphic, to say the least. Some spells that had been put on the pictures to create a constant blur to follow over their private parts had faded considerably, which was probably why Ginny was as red as her hair.  
  
Hours had passed since they had first started reading the tattered old book, and still they were only half through. Hermione had never taken so long to finish such a short book, but with all the interesting pictures, and fits of laughter at the ridiculous writing, it wasn't a surprise. "How old is this thing anyway? And you never did tell me where you got it." "Er. I dunno, George said it's been in the family for ages, probably fifty years at least, but with none of the pictures having clothes," she blushed deeply at this, "I can't tell what time era they might be from." Shrugging, the fifth year replied, "Well, I'd say this is a pretty good find for being fifty years old. Lots of detail, ya know?" by this she meant the 'alternative' section, showing graphic pictures and descriptions of some very naughty things.  
  
By the time the girls were finished, Hermione thought Ginny would explode from being so red in the face. Standing and rubbing out the crick that had formed in her neck, Ginny quickly excused herself to go help with dinner, not wanting to be so flustered around her friend. Really though, she was feeling a lot more than just flustered; especially since they'd both been holding the book at one point, their fingers barely touched, and their bodies were so close. It was no wonder Ginny had to run; she might've done something she'd deeply regret.  
  
~-~-~-~  
  
Tough, Quidditch-tempered hands brushed through his soft and slightly damp red hair. Sleepy eyes fluttered open to stare into ones that were wide- awake. Ron reached out to brush away the phantom form of his best friend only to find that he wasn't a part of his imagination. His hand rested against Harry's cheek, he was groggy and couldn't think straight, so he just kept staring into those bright green eyes not knowing what to do. Dusk swept over the trees and he realized he must have slept right through dinner. "Mum will kill me," he thought. A light shake tore his thoughts from his mind and a soft voice filled it with new ones. Every time he heard it his focus could only be on Harry, the rest of the world did not exist.  
  
"Hey Ron, you have a good sleep here? You've got stuff all over you," Harry laughed playfully and dragged Ron to his feet. A drop of fear ran through the taller boy as he remembered what he did earlier that day, but soon disappeared when he felt his friend's hands brushing the twigs and grass from his back and carefully taking them out of his hair. Was it his imagination, or was Harry being down right _affectionate_? "C'mon, I'll race you home, your mum decided to have a late night dinner outside tonight, hurry or they'll start without us and leave us with the veggies!" and with that he kicked the ground hard and took off with a burst of speed, leaving Ron with a head full of unanswered questions and a stomach full of butterflies. 


	4. What the?

Soft fur grazed her leg as she helped her mother with the baked potatoes. "Crookshanks, one day I'm going to step on you and not be sorry about it!" She was highly frustrated at the big, purring, orange ball of mush, having almost tripped over him twice since entering the kitchen.  
  
Grabbing a few dishes for the potato toppings, the young fourth year made her way to the smooth pine wood tables that had been set up in the back yard. Cool air began drifting over the sitting area like a soft mass of feathers; Ginny shivered a bit at the delightful sensation and began to relax from her previous frustrations. She walked back and forth from the table to the kitchen, grabbing various plates and bowls of meat, vegetables, and salads along the way.  
  
"Why does she have to be so. ... so. ... something, ugh, what do I feel for that witch? She's always so confusing. It's like there's something between us. ... like our auras just connect and spark when they touch. How the hell am I going to survive the rest of the summer with her, listening to her soft, peaceful breathing as I go to sleep? Maybe I'll just stay awake for weeks on end until I start hallucinating and have to go off to the loony bin."  
  
Thinking such things in the gentle breeze had amused Ginny greatly, and when Hermione walked up to her, she asked, "What's that goofy smile fixed on your face for, eh? Havin' nasty thoughts on that book we were thumbing through?" Her happy smile turned into a nervous one as she blushed furiously, but shot back with, "I bet they're not nearly as bad as yours!" With that, she quickly stood up and half walked, half ran to the kitchen, looking for something else to occupy her time.  
  
~-~-~-~  
  
As the tall, slim redhead stepped out into a clearing, he was immediately grabbed by the shoulders and lifted up; much like an unfortunate rabbit being snatched up by a bird of prey. At first he was startled but in a split second he recognized the warmth of the hands that were on him. He knew he was safe, soaring just a few feet above the ground in Harry's arms.  
  
Seconds felt like minutes to Ron when his long time friend was carrying him home. They had dazed grins plastered to their faces, thinking exactly the same thing about the other. Their thoughts were interrupted though, when Harry guided his broom down to the backyard, and they landed with a dull thud. Exchanging shy glances, the wizards set off to help Mrs. Weasley with dinner, not making eye contact the entire time.  
  
~-~-~-~  
  
The clanging of the metal triangle alerted everyone to the table; chaos erupted as soon as everyone sat down. Hands reached for desired dishes, forks and knives set out to chop food, and loud voices resonated throughout the untidy backyard. A fat little gnome sneakily walked to his underground house, yawning along the way. The sun was nearly set, and a few timid white stars peaked out through the velvety dark blue sky. Twilight was the most beautiful time of day to have a summer dinner outside, and Hermione was glad to be spending her time at The Burrow.  
  
Light played across Ginny's lightly freckled skin so beautifully, the older witch couldn't help but stare; gazing carefully at every sharp feature, noticing how it contrasted perfectly with her soft wavy hair. "Wish I could just touch it, just for a little while. Bet it smells nice, just like the rest of her." Hermione's eyes were now partially closed, her fork inches away from her mouth, paused in its task, as she drifted in thought.  
  
A flurry of color flew before her eyes, and Hermione realized someone's hand was waving in front of her, trying to get her attention. "Huh?" she asked, confused. "You've been spacing out on us for over a minute, do we need to ship you off to St. Mungo's?" Fred and George smirked mischievously until they caught their mother giving them 'the look'. "Now boys, I'm sure Hermione is fine, stop being beasts to her or you'll be sharing the de- gnoming duty with Ron," she stated the last part with an evil smile of her own as she looked out at her almost gnome-free back yard. "I'll be able to plant more delicate, colorful things in the yard from now on."  
  
The subdued duo continued eating, both glancing down at a list that was carefully hidden between them. Fred whispered quietly to his twin, "Have you noticed yet? I've documented so much." "He won't be convinced, he's not a bloody moron like Percy," they snickered under their breaths, and went back to debating. "I say we follow them tomorrow, maybe even photograph them. . we need all the money we can get from this." They noticed Hermione watching them closely, unable to hear them but trying to read their lips. She raised an eyebrow in question but they went back to eating dinner as if nothing was out of sorts, unsure if it was safe to let her in on their plan.  
  
A/N: Would anyone like to give me guesses/suggestions as to what the twins are planning? I'll be updating a lot more from now on, so expect to see some little twists and turns along the way. 


	5. Time for some talkin'

When the lovely dinner had come to an end, the Weasley's and their guests continued their conversations on into the dead of night. Ron sat on the end of the table, hardly engaged in what was happening around him. The object of his thoughts sat away from him, next to Ginny, while he sat next to Hermione. Without a word, the confused fifth year stood up and hurried to his room, burying himself under bright orange sheets.  
  
After Ron's mind was too jumbled to think anymore about what happened only hours ago with his best friend, he decided to pull out his own photo album, turning to the most recent picture. Gazing at it for a moment, he thought about how sexy Harry was, and what would happen when Hermione and Ginny found out his secret.  
  
A small figure zoomed in and out of the scene, stopping briefly to wave and smile down at the photographer. Ron vividly remembered the day he took this, during a practice Gryffindor was having just before their final match against Slytherin for the Quidditch Cup. Harry had been so nervous, but his excitement wasn't dwindled. He practiced fast and hard, while Ron shouted encouragement for Harry, telling him those filthy Slytherins didn't have a chance this year. Occasionally the Seeker would stop in mid-flight to chat with his best friend, even letting him have a few laps with his precious Firebolt.  
  
Snapping the photo album shut, the lanky boy got out the last of his unfinished schoolwork and began to write. The essay was about disguises, and all the different potions that could be brewed to aid in camouflage of some sort. With a grin, Ron knew he'd get a passing grade because of his familiarity with Polyjuice and other things he, Hermione, and Harry had used to conduct their mischief.  
  
~-~-~-~  
  
Hermione was busy trying to eavesdrop on the twins, as they sat across from her, keeping their whispers just low enough so that she couldn't quite catch what they were saying. This annoyed the bookworm so much; she let out an exasperated sigh and turned to talk to Ginny. She'd noticed the red haired witch had been acting funny ever since they started to bond. 'I'll talk to her later, since we're sharing a room... wonder what's up with her.' Suddenly the thought of being in a bed so close to the fourth year made her blush, their beds were pushed right up to each other, making room for doing hands on homework like mixing potions and constructing large astronomy charts.  
  
Dishes were being cleared and everyone was full and cheerful - everyone but Harry and Ginny, whose thoughts were currently making them dead silent. The Seeker decided he'd try to get some information out of Ginny, to see what might be upsetting her brother. He knew they were fairly close, being the two youngest children in a large family. Hermione's thoughts were along the same lines as Harry's, and she decided to talk to Ron to get some information of her own. She knew Ginny must be upset, she hadn't said much all evening and seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her. 'Maybe I shouldn't have teased her about the sex education book'  
  
Ginny stood up and strode off toward the house when she heard footsteps rushing up behind her, "Hey Harry, what's the rush?" "Oh, I was just wondering if I could have a word with you? It's kinda important. and private, ya know?" He eyed Hermione approaching them, and the bright witch nodded in understanding. Somehow Harry didn't feel the same vibes coming from Ginny; she was no longer shy and timid around him. Almost as if her long time crush had disappeared, like it had never even been there. The green eyed wizard grinned as she led him to a large oak tree near a far corner of their fenced off backyard. "If anything is wrong Harry, you know I'll be glad to help." He smiled uncertainly, not quite knowing how to approach the subject, since he had believed for years that the witch liked him, and now he would be inquiring about her own brother with some very unconventional questions. 'Hope this goes well,' he thought, secretly wishing he could trade his invisibility cloak for the power of ligilimency instead.  
  
"Alright Harry, what's up?" Ginny was curious as to why he'd seek her out, they were friends, but not personally close to each other. The dark haired teenager looked at her, shifted uncomfortably and replied, "You know, I get the feeling we're being watched... think we could head back inside?" As they made their way through the overgrowth of the yard, two pairs of gleaming eyes shined through the hedges.  
  
The mischievous Weasley twins scribbled furiously on their parchment, watching Harry and Ginny leave. "Well bro, I'd say this adds a new twist to our observations, don't you think?" "Hell yes George, and it doesn't look good at all. Perhaps we'll have to do a bit more digging... find out what else is going on that we don't know about." "I reckon you're right Fred... I also think it'd be best if we didn't try to get money out of this. Feels wrong, doesn't it?" Fred sighed, defeated, "We were only half serious about that anyway, right? It's just I want this joke shop to work so badly..." he trailed off, still writing on his blotched-up parchment, "not that we can't still have fun with this information though, right bro?" George grinned wickedly, packing away his quill and notes, "You read my mind."  
  
~-~-~-~-~  
  
Hearing padded footsteps just outside his door, Ron pulled his sheets up over his head, feinting sleep in case someone entered. He really didn't want to be disturbed, too busy lost in his confused thoughts to do much of anything. When the slight creak of his door signaled that someone had indeed wanted in, he groaned to himself. 'Wish they'd just go away'. "Hey. Ron?" Hermione gently prodded his shoulder, "Wake up mate, we need to talk in private. Come on, I know you're not really sleeping," she shook him a little harder, "we've been friends for years, I think I'm smart enough to know that your breathing isn't this shallow when you're asleep." And with that, Ron grudgingly threw his bed sheets from himself and sat up, eying his clever friend with a mix of annoyance and awe. "You always were one to impress me, you know that Hermione?" He grinned a little and for a moment forgot about being upset and confused, instead he reflected on all the time they had adventured with Harry.  
  
Another thought struck him though, had she seen what he'd been hiding for so long? Was that why she wanted some privacy? 'I know Ginny fancies Harry, but she can't be wanting to scold me for liking him too, can she? Hell, I never meant to upset anyone!' Immediately his demeanor changed, his shaggy red head drooping as he let out a long, frustrated sigh. "Hey, what's the matter Ron? If you're not up for a chat, I can wait till tomorrow ... but this is really important, it has to do with the way Ginny's been acting. You're her closest brother, I though you might have some insight ..." she trailed off, not really expecting him to answer. Eyes bulging, then going back to normal, the tall wizard leapt up and hugged Hermione as tightly as he could without suffocating her. His relief was evident, but he didn't see Ginny peaking through a crack in the old wood door, fear and puzzlement flitting across her face.  
  
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The Boy Who Lived stopped abruptly behind Ginny, following her gaze to the crack in Ron's bedroom door. 'Wonder what she's seen, I can't even read her emotions, and I'm usually great at that sort of thing...' "Hey Gin, why don't we chat up in the attic, ya know, for extra privacy. I doubt that ghoul will make too much racket, and won't blab our secrets either." He grinned tentatively, not sure if she could do with a cheering charm or something entirely different.  
  
They made their way quickly up the stairs, not bothering to be quiet now that the ghoul had started throwing things around. Fred and George were mysteriously absent from the house, the lack of explosions and yells making for a very quiet evening. The young redheaded witch seemed to snap out of her shocked state, flicked open the rusted latch, and went to sit on a slightly moth-eaten couch. "So Harry, what's on your mind? You seem really happy about something..." Ginny asked, but thought she already knew the answer. 'Must be wanting to tell me the news of Ron and Hermione getting together. Probably thinks it's about time for those two, but damnit, my brother doesn't deserve her!' her angry thoughts and jealousy unnerved her. Now the young witch didn't know what to think or feel, all she knew now was that Harry wanted to talk, and since she'd always wanted to be closer friends with him, she might as well listen... hard as it was going to be to not blow up in his face. Ginny had apparently inherited the Weasley temper from her mother, and hoped against all hope that she was wrong in her assumptions. A slight creak resonated outside the attic opening, although the ghoul had yet to settle down, so it went unnoticed by Harry and Ginny. 


	6. Voyeurism

Author's Note: I know this hasn't been updated in forever, but I haven't forgotten this story at all. I've just been busy, school, life, etc... So here's part of what I have so far for chapter 6, hope you enjoy.

With stealth no others could pull off in the creaking Weasley household, the inquisitive twins appeared to float up the stairs. In fact, this is exactly what they were doing. "Fred, how long until this wears stuff off again?" George looked worried. "I can't remember exactly how much potion we added to the levitation candies," Fred whispered back to his brother, "we'll just have to hope for the best." They were completely silent, stopping just outside their younger brothers' room where they could hear the beginning of a conversation.

Ron slowly released his death-grip on Hermione, having finally calmed down from shock and relief. 'She doesn't know my secret just yet, I'm so glad I can tell her myself. Never thought I'd be this damn nervous though.' Indeed, his palms were already starting to sweat. Pushing aside her mass of bushy hair, the witch plopped down onto the corner of his bed. "I know I came up here to ask about Ginny, but now I'm thinking I should ask about you too. Has something been bothering you lately? I mean, that letter you sent really pissed me off but I'd been turning it over in my head most of the day. It's not like you to do something like that, so something must be wrong. Talk to me?" Tilting her head to one side, she gave him her puppy dog eyes. "Bloody hell," the fiery boy threw up his arms in exasperation, and then sat down himself. "Yes, something has been on my mind. Actually, I wasn't planning on having this discussion quite so soon...... but now that you've asked, I won't keep it from you any longer."

Outside the room all breathing stopped. The twin pranksters had been waiting for this ever since they began spying on their younger brother.


End file.
